High School Students Give Gifts to Needy

Although only a few sentences, the letter says a lot.

“Dear Santa,” it reads, beginning with a request for toys but soon taking on a different tone. “I want a house for my mom so we could go home and be a family. That’s the most inporten thing of all because I want to go home. My name is Anddy and I’m 10 years old.”

When students at North Hollywood High School heard Anddy’s letter and dozens of similar letters written by needy children, they experienced a surge of confidence in the school’s annual “Holiday Adoption” program, started 20 years ago.

Each of 77 children referred by the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services received new toys, clothes or gift certificates Wednesday that had been collected at North Hollywood High over the past few weeks.

“Some years we have had some kids who didn’t get adopted,” said Sahar Rooholamini, a senior and member of the Women’s Issues Club, which organized the gift drive. “But this year has gone really well. People have gotten really into it.”

The gifts were purchased with money raised by homerooms. The homerooms received case studies from the agency and letters from “adopted” children. Some of the letters, organizers said, came from needy kids who also are students at North Hollywood.

“My homeroom teacher read our letter out loud to the class,” said Brandon Eleuterio, a senior and Women’s Issues Club member.

“Our room is usually throwing stuff, making noise. But when he read this letter, everyone just went, ‘Wow’ and it was completely silent.”

And there were no hidden motives for raising the money.

“There was no ice cream party for the homeroom that donated the most,” Sahar said.

“People were doing this as a gift.”

Just prior to Wednesday’s delivery, the gifts--including a bike, a basketball, a train set and clothes--sat in the office of Assistant Principal Carlos Martinez, who couldn’t see his desk through the pile.

“This is a great reason to give up my office,” he said with a broad grin. “I don’t mind at all.”